The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in Science. The lowest is 22% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Hoxie High School
Hoxie High School serves students in seventh through twelfth grade in Hoxie, a small agricultural community in Lawrence County in northeast Arkansas. The town sits at the junction of major highways and two railroad lines, with a quiet, rural character shaped by its history as a railroad hub and its present role as a bedroom community next to the larger town of Walnut Ridge. Hoxie’s population has been declining gradually, and its economy centers on farming, particularly soybeans and rice, along with some industrial jobs in the neighboring area. The school is part of the Hoxie School District, which covers the town’s entire K-12 public school system.
The high school has a modest enrollment for its grade span, drawing students primarily from Hoxie and the surrounding area. The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic, Black, and multiracial students. A notable characteristic is that every student qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting the high levels of economic need among families in the district.
Academically, state assessment results are available for seventh and eighth graders, administered under Arkansas’s ATLAS system. For these grades, proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science are modest. In math, roughly one in five students scored at or above the proficient level. In English language arts, the share was similarly about one in five. Science results were slightly higher, particularly in eighth grade, where about a third of students met proficiency. Compared to other districts in Lawrence County, Hoxie High School’s overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile, meaning its tested grades perform below the average for the county. No state assessment data was available for grades nine through twelve; high school end-of-course exams may be administered separately, and parents considering the school may want to ask directly about performance in those upper grades.
The school’s four-year graduation rate was not available in the data reviewed, so it is not possible to comment on how many students complete high school on time. Similarly, information on discipline, attendance, staff qualifications, and course access (such as dual enrollment, Advanced Placement, or career and technical programs) is not included here. The district’s website or school office would be the best source for those specifics.
What the data does show is a small, high-poverty school that serves as the sole secondary option for Hoxie families. The school’s academic results in the middle grades point to an area where improvement is needed, especially relative to county peers. For a family considering Hoxie, the housing market is notably affordable: home values are well below state and national medians, and rents are correspondingly low. The town’s rural setting and highway-oriented layout mean that students rely on school or private transportation, and day-to-day commercial life is centered along highway corridors rather than a downtown.
In sum, Hoxie High School offers a close-knit, small-school environment in a community where the cost of living is low and the economic challenges are real. The academic data for seventh and eighth grades suggests that families should seek additional information about the high school’s course offerings, support services, and postsecondary preparation to get a full picture of what the school provides for older students.
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